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Ogilvy and Singh Share Lead at 64

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From Associated Press

Australian rookie Geoff Ogilvy shot a career-best 64 on Thursday for a share of the first-round lead with Vijay Singh in the Buick Challenge at Pine Mountain, Ga.

Five players were one shot back in the final chance to qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship.

Joel Edwards, part of the pack at 65, is among those playing the money game. He’s about $500,000 behind 30th-place Kenny Perry and needs a victory to have a chance to qualify for the $5-million event at Champions Golf Club in Houston.

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“I’ve not led a golf tournament in so long, I don’t know what it feels like,” said Singh, who is trying to avoid his first winless PGA season since 1996. “I’d really like to win. I’m going to give it a good shot.”

Edwards was tied with Neal Lancaster, Mike Sposa, Per-Ulrik Johansson and Danny Ellis.

Defending champion David Duval shot a 67, Davis Love III opened with a 68, Sergio Garcia was at 70 and Ernie Els struggled to a 73.

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Bob Gilder shot a five-under 67 to take the lead after the first round of the Senior Tour Championship at Oklahoma City.

Gilder, who tied for second last week in San Antonio and tied for fourth a week earlier in Napa, Calif., had a bogey-free round and was one stroke ahead of Tom Kite. Bruce Summerhays and Jim Ahern were another shot back at three under.

Gilder got going with a 25-foot eagle putt on the par-five No. 3, and then added three birdies on a cool, breezy afternoon at Gaillardia Golf & Country Club.

Allen Doyle, trying to secure the money title, played the front nine in three over and wound up with a 73.

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Annika Sorenstam, seeking her seventh LPGA Tour victory of the year, beat Japan’s Mineko Nasu, 3 and 2, in the first round of the World Ladies Match Play Championship at Narita, Japan.

South Korea’s Se Ri Pak, seeded second behind Sorenstam among the 16 LPGA Tour players, also advanced, beating Japan’s Michiko Hattori, 2 and 1, on the Sosei Country Club course.

Sorenstam will play Michele Redman, a 2-and-1 winner over Japan’s Kasumi Fujii. Pak advanced to a second-round match with Scotland’s Janice Moodie, a 4-and-3 winner over Japan’s Michiei Ohba.

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